Family Time

In April my mom and aunt paid Asia [and me] a visit.

We started in Seoul and saw typical touristy things and neighborhoods: Gyeongbokgung [Palace], Insadong, Myeongdong, Seoul Tower, Namdemun Market, Itaewon, Nanta [sort of like the show Stomp], and the DMZ. We also ate very well!

Korea!

 the DMZ with tourists on the North Korean side

Then we rode the train to Daejeon, and I got to show them where I live and eat and work and shop.  We ate on food street, visited Eunhengdong and the bus terminal, took a campus tour with Reverend 최, washed dishes at 새나루, drank hot chocolate and got free soap at Natural Dew [a cute little coffee shop that just closed ㅠㅠ], taekwondoed, shopped at Costco, made bulgogi, checked out the world's largest department store in Busan, worshiped at University Church, had 샤브샤브, celebrated Haejung 이모's birthday with bing su at Deli Roti, enjoyed dinner with a teacher from Korean language school [which ended with an invitation to her wedding-whoop whoop!], and watched The Hunger Games!

I put them to work...

 

After about a week in Korea, we went to Japan and met up with my cousins. We stayed in Osaka and toured around Kyoto, Nara, Kurama, Hiroshima, and Miyajima. I really enjoy the food [not surprising] and thought noticing the similarities and differences between the country that has been my home for the past [at the time] 8 months and its neighbor was quite fascinating.

tea ceremony

an awesome market in Kyoto

It was quite fun being a tour guide in Korea, where I know my way around and what's going on [for the most part], and a tourist in Japan, where I got to experience new things and try new food; but the best part was just being with my family. I am also very happy that my mom and aunt got to meet and spend time with the family I have become a part of in Korea.

[cheesy last couple of sentences, I know]